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Oklahoma beef producers see boom in business amid meat shortage caused by pandemic

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Updated: 7:07 PM CDT May 12, 2020

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SEEING A BIG BUSINESS BOOST. >> WHILE SOME CATTLE PRODUCERS MAY BE HURTING DURING THIS TIME, SWISHER BEEF COMPANY IS ACTUALLY BOOMING. >> WE’RE 100% LOCAL, FARM-TO-TABLE RANCHERS. >> BEEF PRODUCERS CHUCK AND CAROLYN SWISHER HAVE BEEN SELLING THEIR PRODUCT DIRECTLY TO THE CUSTOMER FOR YEARS. >> FRIEND AND THEN A FRIEND TOLD FRIENDS AND IT JUST BOOMED FROM THERE. >> THE OKLAHOMA CATTLEMEN’S ASSOCIATION ENCOURAGED MORE PRODUCERS TO START DOING THIS TO HELP WITH THE LOSSES FROM COVID-19. BUT INSTEAD OF HAVING LOSSES, BUSINESS IS BOOMING FOR THEM. >> WITHIN THE LAST FEW WEEKS, IT HAS REALLY BLOWN UP. >> OUR PHONE NEVER STOPS RINGING. >> AND THEY NEVER STOP FEEDING. WITH GROCERY STORES SEEING NOW REALIZING JUST HOW IMPORTANT BUYING LOCAL IS. >> THEY DON’T CARE IF IT IS 9:00 OR 10:00 AT NIGHT. >> THE SHORTAGE IS BLAMED ON PROCESSING PLANT CLOSURES. SWISHER’S ADVANTAGE -- HE PROCESSES LOCALLY. >> WE MIGHT SELL MORE IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS THAT WE HAVE

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Oklahoma beef producers see boom in business amid meat shortage caused by pandemic

Oklahomans are getting creative to solve the beef shortage.In April, KOCO 5 was the first to report that Oklahoma was working on a plan help producers sell directly to consumers. On Tuesday, KOCO 5 spoke with a local farmer who's seeing a big boost in business."We're 100% local, farm-to-table ranchers," said Chuck Swisher, with Swisher Beef Co.Beef producers Chuck and Carolyn Swisher have been selling their product directly to customers for years."We told a friend, then a friend told some friends, and it just blew up from there," Chuck Swisher said.The Oklahoma Cattlemen's Association has encouraged more producers to start doing this to help with the losses from the coronavirus pandemic. Instead of having losses, business is booming for the Swishers."In the last few weeks, it's really blown up," Carolyn Swisher said.Chuck Swisher told KOCO 5 that the phone hasn't stop ringing and they never stop feeding. With grocery stores seeing shortages, he thinks people are now realizing just how important buying local is."They don't care if it's nine or 10 at night, they're going to call," Chuck Swisher said, "and they want to buy beef."The shortage of beef is blamed on closures to processing plants. The Swishers' advantage during the pandemic is they process locally."We might actually sell more in the next couple of months than we did last year," Chuck Swisher said.People who are interested from buying beef directly from ranchers can find a list of producers doing so here.

DOVER, Okla. —

Oklahomans are getting creative to solve the beef shortage.

In April, KOCO 5 was the first to report that Oklahoma was working on a plan help producers sell directly to consumers. On Tuesday, KOCO 5 spoke with a local farmer who's seeing a big boost in business.

Beef producers Chuck and Carolyn Swisher have been selling their product directly to customers for years.

"We told a friend, then a friend told some friends, and it just blew up from there," Chuck Swisher said.

The Oklahoma Cattlemen's Association has encouraged more producers to start doing this to help with the losses from the coronavirus pandemic. Instead of having losses, business is booming for the Swishers.

"In the last few weeks, it's really blown up," Carolyn Swisher said.

Chuck Swisher told KOCO 5 that the phone hasn't stop ringing and they never stop feeding. With grocery stores seeing shortages, he thinks people are now realizing just how important buying local is.